Who is Brennan?‍

Meet Brennan Wolfe, Customer Experience Manager at Baseball Lifestyle 101!

About Baseball Lifestyle 101‍

Baseball Lifestyle 101 is a community connecting baseball lovers throughout the world with dynamic apparel and accessories to rep off the field. What began as an Instagram account started by a sports obsessed teenager has grown into one of the leading E-Commerce brands in the baseball industry offering tees, hoodies, hats, jackets, and more to fans of all ages.

Brennan joined Baseball Lifestyle 101 in 2025 at a pivotal moment. Founded by fans for fans, the E-Commerce brand for baseball apparel and accessories was in the midst of its biggest year yet, with momentum showing no signs of slowing. As Customer Experience Manager, Brennan focuses on empowering agents to make independent decisions while promoting an empathetic approach to customer interactions. The result is a support experience where customers feel heard and connected to a brand that shares their passion for the game.

Brennan’s CX Journey‍

Brennan was introduced to Baseball Lifestyle 101 while working with another member of the company in the food industry. His customer-facing and managerial skills made him a strong fit for the growing E-Commerce apparel company. “They first brought me on as a customer service agent because the team was small,” he says. “As the brand continued to expand, I was able to move up the ladder.” In November 2025, Brennan transitioned into his current role as Customer Experience Manager.

What Excites Brennan Most About Customer Service‍

Brennan is drawn to customer service for a simple reason: helping people. He believes an empathetic approach is essential, recognizing that customers may be frustrated or having a bad day by the time they reach out. “It’s your job as a customer service representative or leader to make sure, no matter their mood or demeanor, they’re happy at the end of the conversation,” he says. 

The CX Team at Baseball Lifestyle 101‍

Based in Jacksonville, Florida, Brennan helps lead a CX team of over 15 agents. Responsibilities are divided to ensure full coverage across support channels: some agents manage email inquiries, some handle phone support, and the remainder focus on QA (quality assurance). “They are our internal team and work with our warehouse to make sure orders get out and returns and exchanges are processed in a timely manner,” he explains. “If there’s an operational issue, they’re our troops on the ground and will take care of it.” Everyone is trained to provide email support and steps in to help during high volume periods.

Brennan’s Top Challenge as a CX Team Leader

Brennan describes his team as highly efficient and task-oriented. When issues arise, he refers to their SOPs (standard operating procedures) to guide performance evaluation and maintain consistency. If he faces a challenge at all as a leader, it’s keeping agents busy during slower periods, but the team has tasks planned for this down time.

The Hiring and Training Process at Baseball Lifestyle 101‍

While many companies discourage hiring friends, Baseball Lifestyle 101 takes a different approach, believing that personal connections can lead to strong candidates. For example, Brennan brought in two friends he met while working in the food industry, confident in their work ethic, reliability, and ability to problem solve. “The hiring process for us is often internal. We look to people we know and trust,” he explains. “While other departments may require specific educational qualifications, in customer service we’ve built a team of peers we know can handle the job and provide the best possible service to people.”

When it comes to training, Brennan credits strong SOPs created with Scribe for establishing consistent efficiency across the team and helping new hires ramp up quickly. He also takes a hands-on approach to onboarding. “I log onto a Google Meet with new members and provide step-by-step training for email and phone support – everything,” he says. After about three days, agents begin working more independently while he continues to oversee their progress. By the second week of training, most team members are prepared to operate fully on their own.

CX Team Success Factors

Evaluating Team Performance: Metrics versus Natural Observation‍

While response time and productivity are important, Brennan prefers natural observation over relying solely on metrics. “It’s case by case,” he explains, noting that focusing too heavily on statistics can overlook the bigger picture of how well his team is actually performing. “A customer may need more attention, which means response and resolution times will naturally take longer.” Our company prioritizes our customers, and we have the ability to assist them independently of time or resource constraints. 

How Empowerment Leads to Independent Agents‍

Brennan believes that empowering agents to handle issues independently leads to stronger decision-making and better overall performance. “When someone feels unsure, we encourage them by saying, ‘You know the answer and how to find the resolution,’” he explains. More complex issues that require management attention are escalated to Brennan, who then steps in to work one-on-one with the customer.

Looking Ahead: Growth, Connection, and Efficiency‍

Reflecting on his time at Baseball Lifestyle 101, Brennan says he’s grateful to work for a growing e-commerce company committed to connecting with fans through a shared love of the sport. “Watching the passion behind each department – everyone working together to make sure we’re all on track to provide the best product, the best service, and the best brand – is really special,” he shares. Looking ahead, he adds, “We’re all focused on growth, getting better, and becoming more efficient.”

Scaling CS for Peak Season‍

Baseball Lifestyle 101’s peak seasons align with major sales events for Back-to-School, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday. After experiencing rapid growth within that last year, the company realized that it needed to expand its support team. Originally, Kristin Keys, VP of customer CS was handling all incoming emails. “We brought in three virtual assistants,” Brennan notes. “They’re a big help, and because of the time difference, they’re able to provide support outside of our standard window.”

Topics of Interest

The Role of Customer Retention‍

Baseball Lifestyle 101’s sales strategy centers on weekly product drops, with new items available for a limited time before the next release. Within this model, retention plays a critical role in building brand loyalty. “During that time, it’s important for us to stay engaged and address any issues to provide the best customer experience possible,” Brennan says. “We do a drop each week of the year and want our customers to be happy and satisfied with each one.”

Brennan Thoughts on AI in Customer Service‍

While his team uses AI to handle simple requests and manage volume during busy periods, Brennan favors a more personal approach to customer service. “I like the ability to engage with each person and give them a natural feel during our interaction. This is the reason I pushed for phone support,” he says, adding that human sentiment can often get lost in AI and automated responses.

Understanding that customer service will increasingly adopt AI, Brennan predicts that many E-Commerce companies could fully transition within the next five to ten years. How a brand resonates with its customers will largely depend on who is representing it – a bot or a human agent.

Brennan’s Advice to CX Leaders

‍Brennan believes that anyone in a leadership role must lead by example. He reflects on lessons from professional mentors, who emphasized that demanding results and “barking orders” achieves nothing. “If you want your agents to listen and give their best, you have to be willing to do it alongside them,” he says, advocating a proactive approach to leadership.